Giving Speed a Direction

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Giving Speed a Direction

State Standards:

GSE PS3 (7-8)-8 - Motion

Students demonstrate an understanding of motion by…
  • 8a measuring distance and time for a moving object and using those values as well as the relationship s=d/t to calculate speed and graphically represent the data.
  • 8c differentiating among speed, velocity and acceleration

National Standards:

Context of Lesson:

This is the sixth lesson in the unit on motion. Students have previously completed a three day investigation on speed, and are now ready to learn about velocity. Students have already been introduced to displacement, which is important to the understanding of velocity. With this lesson, students are gaining knowledge necessary to perform another lab activity that the students will be doing in the next couple of lessons. In this lesson, students will learn how to graphically represent motion and interpret motion. In this lesson, the students are first given the concepts of velocity in a power point. Then the students will interpret diagrams to determine velocity.

Opportunities to Learn:

Depth of Knowledge

Webb level one
  • Recall or recognize a fact, definition, or simple procedure
  • Use a well known formula
Webb level two
  • Make observations
  • Interpret information from a simple graph

Prerequisite Knowledge

  • Speed
  • Displacement
  • Motion

Plans for Differentiating Instruction

  • Notes will be given by teacher (auditory)
  • Students will read power point and write notes
  • Students will practice concepts and apply knowledge

Accommodations and modifications

  • Students that require modifications will be given partial notes in which they just have to fill in some words.
  • Students that need extra assistance will be provided extra help with the worksheets.

Environmental factors

  • Desks arranged in rows for whole class instruction.
  • Students will work individually on worksheets
  • Warm up will be on the board as students walk into the classroom.
  • Outline for the day will be on the board

Materials

  • Projector
  • White board
  • Practice Worksheets

Objectives:

  • Students will interpret diagrams to demonstrate an understanding of velocity
  • Students will compare and contrast speed and velocity

Instruction:

Opening:

Warm up: It is 2:00 PM. The local weather bureau is tracking a violent storm that is traveling eastward at 25 km/hr. It is 75 Kilometers west of Suntown, USA. If everyone works until 5:00 PM, will the residents of Suntown be able to get home safely before the storm hits?
Segue:
  • When we measured motion in previous lessons, we did not give a direction to the motion.
  • Recall: "What did we call distance when we applied a direction to it?"
  • If Speed is distance/time, we could give speed a direction by replacing distance with displacement.
  • Today we will learn about velocity and compare it with speed.
  • When we refer to the velocity of an object, we not only know how fast it is moving, but where it is headed.

Engagement:

Activity one:
  • Teacher presents velocity in a power point
  • Students take notes on graphic organizer

Activity two:
  • Teacher hands out the practice worksheets and goes over the instructions.
  • Teacher models how to solve the problems by doing the first one.
  • Students complete worksheets with a partner (person next to them).
  • Teacher walks around to direct students.
  • When students are complete, they are asked to create a concept map of speed and velocity.
  • If the concept map is not completed by the end of class, it is assigned for homework.

Closure:

  • Teacher wraps up class with five minutes remaining.
  • "Where do we see velocity used in everyday life?" What are some examples?
    • Police dispatchers- Subject is traveling southbound going 85 mph....
    • Weather- There is a westerly wind blowing 15 mph...
  • Discuss Homework- If not already completed

Assessment:

  • Completion of practice worksheet (graded)
  • Concept map (to be handed in next class)
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